PIG PILE UP
TRAFFIC on Sir Lowry’s Pass on Tuesday morning came to a standstill after a collision involving a truckload of varke caused chaos on the road.
Jermaine Carelse, spokesperson for the City’s Fire & Rescue Service said that it would appear that the brakes of the truck carrying the livestock overheated and it subsequently collided with the truck in front to barrel off the road and catch fire.
It was a collaborative effort as inspectors from the SPCA, along with teams from the Animal Welfare Society (AWS) Helderberg, AWS Grabouw, and Glen Graze, assessed the animals both on the trailer and in the road.
The Cape of Good Hope SPCA said that four pigs were found dead, and two others had to be put down due to how bad their injuries were.
A statement reads: “Traffic on the N2 at Sir Lowry’s Pass came to a standstill following a devastating collision between a container truck and a livestock trailer carrying 200 pigs.
“The scene was grim – injured pigs and carcasses lay in the road and smoke billowed from a burning vehicle on a nearby embankment.
“Responding swiftly to the crisis, the SPCA and three other Cape Animal Welfare Forum member organisations leapt into action.”
“The collision left a partially crushed livestock trailer at a standstill in the middle of the road, obstructing traffic.
“Meanwhile, the flatbed truck had veered off the road, toppled its container, and caught fire.
“Amidst the wreckage, four pigs were found dead, and two others had to be humanely euthanised due to the severity of their injuries.”
SPCA chief Inspector Jaco Pieterse adds: “It was a scene of unimaginable distress but despite the chaos, the collaborative efforts of animal rescue teams, emergency services, and law enforcement made a significant difference.”
“Special thanks go to the City of Cape Town Fire & Rescue, who worked tirelessly to cool the pigs on the trailer by spraying them with water to alleviate their suffering in the sweltering heat.
“This was definitely not a good day at the office, but the immediate response from animal rescue organisations.”
Animal rights organisation Beauty Without Cruelty took to Facebook to share their thoughts on the incident.They wrote: “Had this accident not happened, these pigs would have continued their journey to slaughter. Their suffering would not have been in the public eye, but it would have been no less real.”
“The reality is that most pigs in South Africa do not meet a painless end.
“Many are transported for hours, confined in trucks without food or water, only to arrive at slaughter houses where they are killed by gas chambers.”
